Inquiries can proceed simultaneously,
says GovernorShimla, September 4The Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, today stated that there was no conflict between the inquiries instituted by him into the affairs of Himachal Pradesh University and the probe being carried out by the police and the inquiries could proceed simultaneously.

Govt may amend university Act to
get more powersShimla, September 4Keen to avoid repetition of an unsavoury controversy triggered off by a defiant attitude of Dr S.D. Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, the government is considering to amend the university Act to arm itself with the power to inquire into the affairs of the institution.

Panel demanded to probe benami land transactionsShimla, September 4The Himachal Pradesh Social Welfare Parishad has urged the government to set up a commission to probe the benami land transactions and amend the Tenancy and Land Reform Act to allow bona fide Himachalis to purchase land in the state.

CM seeks special status for tribesmenShimla, September 4Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has urged the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to confer scheduled tribes status to the tribes of Himachal Pradesh. The Chairman of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Mr Dileep Singh Bhuria, called on him here last evening.

Man washed away in NurpurChandigarh, September 4A heavy rain lashed the region today for the second time in the past two days.
The inflow from the Sutlej in the Gobind Sagar Reservoir of the Bhakra Dam, which was 55,000 cusecs yesterday was 38,000
cusecs today.

Four IAS officers transferredShimla, September 4The Himachal Government today transferred four IAS officers and 10 state administrative service officers.

Good monsoon makes HP apples biggerShimla, September 4The size of apples in Himachal Pradesh has increased by 25 per cent to 30 per cent following the excellent monsoon, according to Dr S.P. Bharadwaj, Assistant Director of the Regional Horticulture Research Station at Mashobra, near here.

Centre’s nod to MBBS classes in Tanda collegeShimla, September 4The Centre has given permission for admitting the fifth batch of MBBS students to Dr Rajendra Parsad Government Medical College, Tanda, for the year 2003-04. A communiqué in this regard from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was received by the state government today.

New BJP chiefs of Hamirpur, NadaunHamirpur, September 4Mr Virendra Thakur and Mr Tara Chand Chaman have been unanimously elected as the new presidents of the Hamirpur and Nadaun mandals of the BJP.

BJP panel to keep check on govtShimla, September 4The BJP has set up a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Mr Ravinder Ravi, MLA, to keep a watch on the government and initiate appropriate action on its “acts of omission and commission.”

High alert on Chamba’s border
with KathuaChamba, September 4A high alert has been sounded on the border with Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of mounting pressure on terrorists and their ongoing encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. This district borders with
Chamba.

Sanawar gets new HeadmasterSolan, September 4Mr Gautam Banerjee joined today as the 16th Headmaster of Lawrence School
Sanawar. Having worked at Harvard University, USA, Mr Banerjee was selected by the school board after the former Headmaster, Mr Andrew. S. Gray was terminated from service on April 28.

Staff, students end stirSundernagar, September 4With the abolition of the post of Director in the local Maharaja Laxman Sen Memorial College by the management committee of the college, the teaching non-teaching staff and students have ended their agitation.

Degree college at
Suni on anvilShimla, September 4A degree college will be opened at Suni on a priority basis. Power Minister Vidya Stokes said this at Basantpur
(Suni) today while presiding over a meeting.

CM to unveil
Capt Batra’s statueDharamsala, September 4The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, is coming to Kangra on September 9 to unveil a statue of Capt Vikram Batra of Palampur, Kargil martyr who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Man electrocutedKumarhatti, September 4A man was electrocuted at Jatoli village near Solan last night. The body that was lying near the road was noticed by the pradhan of the Kothon panchayat this morning.

Shimla, September 4
The Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, today stated that there was no conflict between the inquiries instituted by him into the affairs of Himachal Pradesh University and the probe being carried out by the police and the inquiries could proceed simultaneously.

Speaking on the controversial issue for the first time in an interview to the All India Radio, he said the charges of criminal nature could be investigated by the Vigilance and it could not be averred that the police could not take action in the matter. It would have to seek sanction to prosecute the accused on the basis of the investigation report.

Mr Kokje denied that he was protecting the Vice-Chancellor and said he was only exercising his powers under the law to get to the truth through the inquiries. The Vice-Chancellor had informed him that the Vigilance Department was asking for documents and wanted to record the statements of officials.

He said he took up the matter with the government and inquired under what provisions the probe was being conducted. He was told that the inquiry was under way as per the Vigilance manual. However, there was no provision for processing documents or recording statements without the registration of an FIR in the manual.

He made his own inquiries by ascertaining the views of each member of the executive council and officers of the university individually. After undertaking the exercise, he felt that a probe was required. Since an inquiry by an outside agency could undermine the autonomy of the university, he was keen to get the probe conducted through the executive council. A meeting of the council was convened but nothing could materialise.

Finally, he instituted two inquiries. As the government was keen to get the charges probed at the earliest, he entrusted the inquiry into the administrative matter to the Additional Chief Secretary, while the financial matters would be looked into by the state Comptroller and Auditor- General. The probe would be completed in six weeks.

Meanwhile, Prof P.K. Dhumal, former Chief Minister, said there was no need for a Vigilance inquiry as the Governor had instituted two inquiries. He said it amounted to undue interference in the affairs of the university and an encroachment on the powers of the Chancellor. He said the power to appoint the Registrar was vested in the executive council.

Govt may amend university Act to
get more powersRakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 4
Keen to avoid repetition of an unsavoury controversy triggered off by a defiant attitude of Dr S.D. Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, the government is considering to amend the university Act to arm itself with the power to inquire into the affairs of the institution.

The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting of officers at which the proposed amendments were discussed.

The view that emerged was that the Section 9 of the Act pertaining to the visitorial powers of the Chancellor be amended by incorporating a new Section 9 (b) to enable the government to order inquiries into financial and administrative matters of the university. The report of the inquiry along with recommended action will be submitted to the Governor, who has to take the final decision as the Chancellor.

Besides, in definitions of the Act the words “government means the Chancellor” are to be replaced by government means the government, Himachal Pradesh.

The provisions pertaining to the appointment of the Registrar and the Finance Officer are also proposed to be amended so that there was no confusion over the qualification of the deputationists. Under the proposed amendment, an IAS officer with four years experience and a Himachal Administrative Service officer with nine years experience shall be eligible for appointment as registrar.

Another proposed amendment will take care of the appointment of the Finance officer. Keeping in view the large-scale financial irregularities, it is proposed that the post should be manned by an officer of the state Finance Department.

It is learnt that if the government felt the need for urgent action, an ordinance may be issued after approval of the amendments by the Cabinet.

Shimla, September 4
The Himachal Pradesh Social Welfare Parishad has urged the government to set up a commission to probe the benami land transactions and amend the Tenancy and Land Reform Act to allow bona fide Himachalis to purchase land in the state.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the parishad pointed out that bona fide Himachalis were being marginalised in their own homeland due to defective land laws. Land was a scarce commodity in the hill state and capitalists from outside the state who had the money were grabbing it in connivance with revenue officials.

Mr Rajeshwar Negi, president of the parishad, that the menace of benami transactions had assumed such alarming proportions that even courts were being forced to interfere. He said the commission to probe it should be headed by either a retired judge of the high court or a sitting district judge and should have two expert members specialising in revenue law and revenue administration. It should have the powers to investigate, summon officials, requisition records related to inquiry and recommend penalties. It should be asked to submit its report within six months.

Further, the officials found guilty should be penalised and the benami properties be confiscated and vested in the government for distribution to the weaker sections.

The bona fide Himachalis should be permitted to acquire land and settle in any part of the state to dispel their sense of alienation and integrate them into the mainstream. The eligibility for bona fide Himachali should include natural born Himachalis residing in the state for the past 18 years and those who have worked in the state for more than 30 years. The bona fide Himachalis should be treated on a par with an agriculturist Himachali for all intents and purposes.

Shimla, September 4
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has urged the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to confer scheduled tribes status to the tribes of Himachal Pradesh. The Chairman of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission, Mr Dileep Singh Bhuria, called on him here last evening.

The Chief Minister said the Scheduled Caste population of the state was being deprived of the right to special status although all residents of the tribal areas had been declared as Scheduled Tribes by the Central Government.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the matter to declare new tribal areas had already been intimated to the Centre by him a number of times but no decision had been taken on the issue.

He urged the commission to give some financial incentives under various Central schemes, formulated for the development of tribal areas in the country for employees posted in the tribal areas so that they volunteered to serve in these areas. This would go a long way in accelerating development, he said.

He said the government had made provisions so that the sub-plan budget for tribal areas could not be diverted to other areas.

The Chief Minister also said the Shipki La route in Mansarovar Lake was shorter and safer than the route through Pithoragarh in Uttaranchal that had officially been opened by the Union Government for those undertaking a pilgrimage to the lake in the China-occupied territory of Tibet.

However, the route in Kinnaur bordering China had not been opened. He took up this matter with Mr Bhuria. —
UNI

Chandigarh, September 4
A heavy rain lashed the region today for the second time in the past two days.

The inflow from the Sutlej in the Gobind Sagar Reservoir of the Bhakra Dam, which was 55,000 cusecs yesterday was 38,000 cusecs today. Similarly, the inflow from the Beas in the Pong Dam was around 38,000 cusecs against the average of 57,000 cusecs yesterday.

Reports said Kalka had a rainfall of 60 mm while Rohtak reported 36.2 mm and Ambala 2.8 mm rainfall, respectively.

Patiala and Madhopur reported 2.00 mm and 4.00 mm rainfall.

Srinagar recorded 13.9 mm of rainfall.

Reports from the meteorological office here said light to moderate rainfall occurred in Himachal Pradesh with Shimla reporting 2.4 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a report from Shimla said one person was washed away in the Jabbar Khud in the Nurpur area of Kangra district while four persons, including a woman trapped in a flash flood in the Chakki Khud, were rescued.

A 25-year-old man Jang Bahadur was washed away in the Jabbar Khud while trying to save the driver of a tipper caught in the swirling waters of the khud. The driver was rescued but Jang Bahadur was swept by the strong water current.

In another incident, three men and a woman trapped in a flash flood in the Chakki Khud were rescued after nearly two hours.

Traffic on the Navgran-Shimla highway was disrupted due to landslides at various places in Chamba district following widespread rain. The Public Works Department was working round-the-clock to remove the debris.

HAMIRPUR: Six stray cows have been caught in an island on the Beas on the Sujanpur-Sandhol road.

Sujanpur Tihra area residents told ‘The Tribune’ that nearly 25 cows had lost their lives on the same island in this monsoon season due to the sharp current of the water in the river.
Agencies and OC

Shimla, September 4
The Himachal Government today transferred four IAS officers and 10 state administrative service officers.

Mr Ajay
Bhandari, who was under transfer as Special Secretary, Irrigation and Public Health, has been posted as Special Secretary-cum-Director of Treasuries and Accounts. Mr Chamel Singh, Special Secretary, Education, goes as Director of Land Records relieving Mr
C.R.B. Lalit of the additional charge. Mr Lalit has been given the additional charge of the Managing Director of the
HPMC. Mr P. Rajput, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kaza, has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kangra.

Shimla, September 4
The size of apples in Himachal Pradesh has increased by 25 per cent to 30 per cent following the excellent monsoon, according to Dr S.P. Bharadwaj, Assistant Director of the Regional Horticulture Research Station at Mashobra, near here.

According to the statistical data available at the research station, the state received 387.1 mm of rain in August, the maximum in the past decade.

It rained for a maximum of 21 days in August and 24 days in July.

The 10 “dry” days that went without rain in August and seven days in July was not only helpful for the apples but also other crops as continuous rains often discolour the apples, he added.

Poor monsoon during the past two years had all but dried up the water sources in the state. Himachal had recorded 404 mm rainfall last year and 431.6 mm in 2001, he said. —
UNI

Shimla, September 4
The Centre has given permission for admitting the fifth batch of MBBS students to Dr Rajendra Parsad Government Medical College, Tanda, for the year 2003-04. A communiqué in this regard from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was received by the state government today.

The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had taken up the matter with the Government of India. The Health Minister, Ms Chandresh Kumari, had also held a number of meetings with the Union Health Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, and the authorities concerned in New Delhi to plead the case.

The counselling sessions for admission will be held on September 15, 16, 17 and 18 at Shimla and the admissions will begin from September 20. The classes are to begin from October 1.

Shimla, September 4
Mr R.S. Pathak, a former Chief Justice of India, will deliver the 10th Dr S. Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, here, on September 5.

He will speak on “Human rights philosophy and the Indian Constitution”.

Dr G.C. Pande, an eminent scholar and chairman of the governing body of the institute, will preside over the lecture which is organised annually to mark the birth anniversary of the late President, Dr S.
Radhakrishnan.

Hamirpur, September 4
Mr Virendra Thakur and Mr Tara Chand Chaman have been unanimously elected as the new presidents of the Hamirpur and Nadaun mandals of the BJP.

Mr Varendra Thakur was garlanded by party leaders and supporters after he was declared elected by the ARO in the local party office. He was also taken in a procession through the main bazar by these leaders and workers.

At Gagal (Nadaun), Mr Tara Chand, leading agriculturist and horticulturist of Hamirpur district, was elected the new mandal president. Mr Sat Prakash Sharma was elected general secretary of the Nadaun mandal unit.

Earlier, Mr Baldev Rana had been declared elected unanimously as the president of the Bamsan mandal of the party.

Shimla, September 4
The BJP has set up a three-member committee under the chairmanship of Mr Ravinder Ravi, MLA, to keep a watch on the government and initiate appropriate action on its “acts of omission and commission.”

Mr Baldev Sharma, party spokesperson, said the committee would highlight the “anti-people, illegal and unconstitutional actions of the government” to keep it on the toes.

Chamba, September 4
A high alert has been sounded on the border with Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of mounting pressure on terrorists and their ongoing encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. This district borders with Chamba.

Mr Ajay Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Chamba said the Himachal Armed Police, Indian Reserve Battalion and Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) had been told to step up vigil on the border with Jammu and Kashmir and allow in anyone only after proper verification.

Solan, September 4
Mr Gautam Banerjee joined today as the 16th Headmaster of Lawrence School Sanawar. Having worked at Harvard University, USA, Mr Banerjee was selected by the school board after the former Headmaster, Mr Andrew. S. Gray was terminated from service on April 28.

The Deputy Headmaster, Mr Derick Mountfort, had been officiating as the Headmaster. He was appointed Headmaster of Assam Valley School, Assam, in July. He has yet to decide whether he would continue as the Deputy Headmaster or join Assam Valley School. No one was available for comments despite making repeated attempts to contact the school authorities.

An unsavoury situation was created yesterday when Mr Mountford reportedly announced in the assembly that despite having done so much for the school, he had been forced to leave the school. Students went on strike in protest against his going away.

Confirming the report, a teacher on condition of anonymity said the situation was controlled following intervention by senior teachers.

Sundernagar, September 4
With the abolition of the post of Director in the local Maharaja Laxman Sen Memorial College by the management committee of the college, the teaching non-teaching staff and students have ended their agitation. The teaching and non-teaching staff of the college was on strike since July 23. Later on students of the college also started an agitation against the creation of a post of Director in the college .

College sources said a meeting of the management committee was held on August 31 at Chandigarh. It was attended by all 16 members of the committee. It was decided after voting that the post of Director would be abolished. It was also decided at the meeting that the newly appointed Director of the college would be removed after completing all formalities.

Dharamsala, September 4
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, is coming to Kangra on September 9 to unveil a statue of Capt Vikram Batra of Palampur, Kargil martyr who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

The statue has been raised opposite the bust of Major, Som Nath Sharma of Palampur, who was awarded Param Vir Chakra for defending Kashmir in 1947. The CM will also launch the augmented Palampur Water Supply Scheme and lay the foundation stone of the Ghuggar-Tanda road that is to be built with aid from NABARD.

The CM will be the chief guest at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Capt Vikram Batra at Government Degree College named after him.

Kumarhatti, September 4
A man was electrocuted at Jatoli village near Solan last night. The body that was lying near the road was noticed by the pradhan of the Kothon panchayat this morning.

According to the police, the victim, identified as Ramesh Kumar of Jatoli, had allegedly planned to steal electric wires. A pair of gloves, and a cutter were found near the body. A bag containing three sacks, a blade, a torch and some instruments to cut electric wires had also been found.